People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 388, Where Does the Road Lead?
"The concept of 'Yi' (易) has three aspects: change, simplicity, and immutability. Change refers to the way of change. Simplicity, with its yin and yang, encompasses the principles of all things. Immutability means that although the things in the world are complex and ever-changing, there is one thing that never changes: the laws of nature."

Bei Mingzi looked at Xu Qing and calmly explained the Book of Changes to him.

Under Bei Mingzi's guidance, a transparent light suddenly appeared in Xu Qing's mind, amidst the chaos caused by the collision of various pieces of knowledge. It seemed to want to split the chaos and redefine these pieces of knowledge.

"Therefore, the heavens and earth operate, the four seasons change, cold and heat alternate, winter is cold and summer is hot, the moon waxes and wanes, the sun at midday deflects, and things reach their extremes and then reverse. This is the law. The development of all things has both 'fixed numbers' and 'variable numbers'."

"The principles contained in the I Ching are fixed, while the principles I have come to understand from it are variable. Just like the sowing of grass and trees, the mother plant is sown by the wind, and the new tree falls to the ground. The new tree grows with the roots unchanged, but its shape changes."

Xu Qing looked at Bei Mingzi and slowly spoke.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Bei Mingzi felt both gratified and surprised, and couldn't help but marvel at Xu Qing's talent once again.

The other party's talent is simply born for the Heavenly Sect. Perhaps among the three generations of the Heavenly Sect, Xu Qing may become the only one to achieve transcendence and ascension, provided that the other party's mind is on cultivation.

Xu Qing looked up at the starry sky, his eyes no longer filled with confusion, but clear and bright. He knew which path he should take next.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle-Master. I know which way to go from here." Xu Qing stood up and bowed respectfully to Bei Mingzi.

Bei Mingzi nodded in satisfaction, raised his hand to help Xu Qing up, and shook his head, saying...

"I'm just telling you how to understand the I Ching. Your ability to comprehend these things is due to your talent and background, and has little to do with me."

“If Senior Brother He Guanzi were on the mountain, I wouldn’t have had the chance to enlighten you.”

Mentioning He Guanzi, Xu Qing felt a toothache. This old man was the most irresponsible person he had ever met. He claimed to have taken him in as his disciple, but he only taught him the most basic things and left the rest to him to learn and understand on his own.

What's the difference between this and teaching him that one plus one equals two, then immediately sending him to study engineering cybernetics?
"Uncle-Master, do you know what Master has been up to lately? Will he still come back for the Heavenly Pact?" Xu Qing thought to himself before asking.

"I don't know, I don't know. My senior brother went down the mountain to travel a long time ago. He said that his path was not in the Heavenly Sect, but in the world, so after handing over the position of sect leader to Chisongzi, he went down the mountain."

"Over the years, he has not contacted the Heavenly Sect, nor has the Heavenly Sect searched for him. If he comprehends the Great Dao, he can achieve transcendence; if he fails, he will die and his soul will return to the earth, turning into a handful of dust."

Bei Mingzi spoke calmly and indifferently.

"This is truly the way the Heavenly Sect operates," Xu Qing thought helplessly. Whether they were cultivators or scholars, the disciples of the Heavenly Sect had only one thing on their minds in their later years: to comprehend the Great Dao and achieve transcendence.

However, stillness breeds movement. Unable to comprehend the Great Dao while on Mount Taiyi, he began to wander the world. If he still held some remnants of the Heavenly Sect in his heart, he would return before his death. If he no longer held any remnants or did not have the time to return, he would simply find a place to bury himself.

"Let's not talk about the teacher anymore. If he wants to come back, he will naturally do so. Actually, I have another question I'd like to ask you, Uncle-Master. I hope you can answer it for me," Xu Qing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"What's the problem?" Bei Mingzi asked, nodding slightly.

"May I ask, Uncle-Master, what exactly is Yin Yang Tai Chi in your eyes?" Xu Qing asked in a deep voice.

"This is your problem, not mine. You should ask yourself, not me. Just like when you go hiking, whether you need shoes or a walking stick, other people's opinions are not necessarily suitable for you. You only need to know what you need."

Bei Mingzi looked at Xu Qing and spoke slowly.

"Ask myself? If I knew the answer, I wouldn't be asking my martial uncle." Xu Qing sighed softly and shook his head.

Bei Mingzi enlightened him, showing him how to use the I Ching to comprehend his own Dao. However, the word Dao is too broad and abstract, so he needed concrete concepts to support it.

Just as Bei Mingzi said, enlightenment is like a long journey up a mountain, so he needs shoes or a bamboo staff. But should he let movement and stillness, life and death, speed and slowness or other specific concepts become his shoes or bamboo staff?

Looking at the bewildered Xu Qing, Bei Mingzi nodded thoughtfully and said...

"The reason you feel lost is because you've learned too much and have too many ideas in your mind, which makes it impossible for you to choose what truly suits you."

"Don't stay in the secluded room studying for the next while. Go outside more often. Don't read any other books, just the I Ching. When you have free time, come here and look at the stars. Maybe it will bring you some inspiration."

"Yes, Uncle-Master," Xu Qing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Seeing that he had achieved his goal of finding Xu Qing, Bei Mingzi said nothing more. His figure gradually faded away and eventually turned into dust, disappearing into the world.

"Take care, Uncle-Master."

Seeing that Bei Mingzi had left, Xu Qing sat on the stone stool, looking at the stars in the sky, still feeling conflicted and confused.

He was able to comprehend Tai Chi because the fundamental worldview of everything he learned, whether it was medical books or Taoist teachings, was based on Yin and Yang. In his previous life, he was also deeply influenced by Tai Chi Chuan, so he simply felt that Tai Chi was the manifestation of Yin and Yang, and thus associated it with Wudang Tai Chi.

Zhang Xianren's Tai Chi is based on speed and slowness, and the combination of movement and stillness. If he were to follow this path, he would indeed be much faster, but his upper limit would also be severely restricted.

Firstly, this is ultimately someone else's path; secondly, his understanding of Tai Chi is only superficial, and he can't even perform the complete Tai Chi form.

Therefore, the Tai Chi of movement and stillness, speed and slowness, is not his path. But what about the others?
“Yin Yang Tai Chi, Yin Yang, if only we could catch someone from the Yin Yang School. The Yin Yang School has been studying Yin Yang, the Five Elements, and astrology for hundreds of years, they must have made some progress by now,” Xu Qing said in a low voice.

At this moment, Xu Qing felt an unprecedented longing for He Guanzi for the first time.

If He Guanzi were still alive, he could easily get Old Deng to go up Jiugong Shendu Mountain again and bring back the results of the Yin-Yang School by crying, making a scene, and begging for help.

"Old Deng, where are you? Why didn't you leave your contact information back then?" Xu Qing thought to himself.

After mentally ranting about the pheasant crown, Xu Qing glanced longingly at the night sky, then nonchalantly tossed her hand and turned to leave.

"Where there's a will, there's a way; if there isn't, we'll take a detour. Now that things have come to this, let's go back to sleep."

Just as Xu Qing returned to the vicinity of her own courtyard, she saw Wang Ben on patrol.

"Made by Daliang."

When Wang Ben saw Xu Qing return, he and several guards bowed and greeted him.

Xu Qing glanced at Wang Ben, then waved to the others and said...

"No need for formalities. This is not Xianyang. You don't need to care about my identity. Please continue."

"Yes, sir." Several guards bowed to Xu Qing and continued their patrol, while Wang Ben remained where he was, watching Xu Qing with some nervousness.

"Don't be nervous, let's sit down and talk."

"promise."

Xu Qing led Wang Ben to sit down at the stone table, and the two sat facing each other, silently looking at each other.

Wang Ben looked at Xu Qing, who was scrutinizing him, and felt nervous. His role as a guard accompanying Xu Qing to Taiyi Mountain was not only arranged by Ying Zheng, but also by his father.

The purpose was to get him to befriend Xu Qing, thereby giving the Wang family more friends.

Although the Wang family, the Meng family, and Xu Qing were all part of the Qin King's faction, it was inevitable that small cliques would exist within any faction. After his rebuke of Lao Ai, Xu Qing was destined to become Ying Zheng's most trusted confidant. When Ying Zheng assumed personal rule, he would most likely succeed Lü Buwei and become second only to the king.

The military would certainly be a balance of power between the Meng clan and the royal family, and whoever had the upper hand would gain the most military merits in the process of Qin unifying the world.

The Meng clan had deep roots. The Wang family rose to prominence because Wang Jian became a follower of Ying Zheng, while Meng Ao openly supported Ying Zheng. Meng Tian even saved Ying Zheng in Wusui and helped him take control of the Pingyang Heavy Armor Army.

In this way, the Meng clan would certainly hold a higher place in Ying Zheng's heart than the Wang family, and Xu Qing was also very close to the Meng clan.

That's why Wang Jian made him Xu Qing's bodyguard, leaving a bond of friendship, so that even if he couldn't have Xu Qing, he could still keep Xu Qing neutral.

Wang Ben looked at Xu Qing, who was scrutinizing him without saying a word, and nervously clenched his fist. He felt as if his thoughts had been read. After hesitating for a while, he was about to speak when he heard Xu Qing speak first.

“Wang Jian appointed you to be my bodyguard. You are a centurion in the army, about to become a captain, yet you are forced to serve as my bodyguard. It is truly an injustice to you,” Xu Qing said with a light laugh.

"No, no, it is my honor to be able to protect the Grand General," Wang Ben said respectfully.

"You must have had a long journey. This is a little gift for you."

Xu Qing didn't care whether Wang Ben's words were true or false, and took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his pocket and said.

"I was merely following orders and dare not complain of hardship, much less accept the Grand Master's reward," Wang Ben hurriedly said, bowing with his hands clasped, his eyes filled with tension and panic.

He felt that Xu Qing had seen through his intentions, so she said these words to warn him.
Looking at the nervous Wang Ben, Xu Qing's eyes revealed a hint of helplessness. Wang Ben was still too young and could not be compared with the future Tongwu Marquis who would lead the army to conquer Chu, destroy Wei, attack Yan and Liaodong, pacify Dai, and destroy Qi.

"Take a look first before deciding whether to accept it or not," Xu Qing said, pushing the bamboo slip in front of Wang Ben.

Wang Ben looked at the bamboo slips with curiosity. When he saw the three large characters "Sima Fa" on the bamboo slips, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Sima Fa? A military treatise compiled by Tian Rangju, the Grand Marshal of Qi, based on the military treatise written by Jiang Ziya?" Wang Ben said in surprise.

"Still unwilling to accept it?" Xu Qing said with a smile.

Sima Fa is not as famous as Sun Tzu's Art of War, but Sun Tzu's Art of War is based on Sima Fa. Tian Rangju, the Grand Marshal of Qi, was also Sun Tzu's uncle. It can be said that Sun Tzu was taught by Tian Rangju.

"This"

Wang Ben hesitated, though he was naturally interested in Sima Fa. He couldn't figure out what Xu Qing meant and dared not accept such a valuable gift rashly.

"Rest assured, I have no ill intentions toward the Wang family. On the contrary, I would be happy to befriend your father. You and the Meng family have all made outstanding contributions to the Qin state and are Your Majesty's right-hand men in the military. Without any of you, the Qin state's ambition to unify the world cannot be supported."

“Competition is a good thing; only through competition can we make progress. I also believe that General Wang Jian is well aware of the situation and will not disregard the overall picture for his own selfish desires.”

Xu Qing was too lazy to hide anything from Wang Ben anymore. This was Taiyi Mountain, not some other place, so he didn't care if outsiders overheard. He simply said what he was thinking.

"This is the great sage's creation."

Wang Ben hadn't expected Xu Qing to be so clear-headed. His eyes were filled with surprise and confusion. He didn't know how to respond, nor did he know where to put his hands.

"No need for further words. I have high hopes for your potential, and I hope you will not disgrace this book of military strategy."

Xu Qing got up, walked over to Wang Ben, patted him on the shoulder, and then headed towards his own courtyard.

His meaning was already very clear: he was naturally happy to accept Wang Jian's overtures. After all, the credit for the war to conquer the six states had almost all gone to Wang Jian and his son Wang Ben. By maintaining good relations with them, he could also gain some military merits and perhaps be granted a title.

Unifying the world is just the beginning. He and Ying Zheng also have ideas for reforming the Qin state, especially the military, which is going to take drastic measures. At that time, the Meng clan alone may not be able to withstand it, and the Wang family must also be brought to their side.

Wang Ben sat on the stone bench, at a loss. He looked at the bamboo slips on the table, then at Xu Qing's back, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

He understood why scholars held Xu Qing in such high esteem.

A gentleman's heart is as bright as the sun and moon, and as free as the movement of stars. A sincere and loyal gentleman like Xu Qing would never hide his purpose and thoughts, and would speak his mind directly.

This is not offensive at all; on the contrary, it is exceptionally comforting.

This demonstrates Xu Qing's character and conduct, as well as the trust and recognition he receives, which earns Wang Ben's utmost respect for Xu Qing.

"I will certainly live up to the trust of the Grand Chancellor. Just wait and see how I expand the territory of the Great Qin!"

Wang Ben stood up and bowed respectfully to Xu Qing's departing figure.

Upon hearing Wang Ben's words, Xu Qing smiled. As expected, young people full of youthful vigor are easy to fool.

After waving goodbye to Wang Ben, Xu Qing walked towards his own courtyard without looking back, leaving Wang Ben with a dashing and imposing figure.

"Your subordinate will certainly dedicate himself to the Qin state and live up to the expectations of the Grand Chancellor."

After making a silent vow, Wang Ben picked up the bamboo slips and left, catching up with the patrolling soldiers to continue fulfilling his duties.

When Xu Qing returned to the house, he saw that Yan Lingji had not gone to bed to rest, but was holding a bamboo scroll in one hand and playing with a wisp of fire in the other.

(End of this chapter)